Accepting Sannyāsa

He had been the manager of Bengal Chemicals and was so expert that he had arranged another company himself. But there were problems. He had come to Allahābādā and managed a very big medical shop, but after some time that also had difficulty. He then engaged in a little more business, but Kṛṣṇa would not allow it to continue. Then he came here.

As we once talked together in 1959, sitting side-by-side, Prabhu said, “When I first met Śrīla Prabhupādā, and when he gave me initiation, he told me that I should preach in English in Western countries. He also told me this over twenty years ago in Calcutta.” He continued, “That which I feared has come on my head, and now I see that I cannot successfully remain in business.” I replied, “Do not try for this anymore. You are not a person to do anything associated with worldly business. Kṛṣṇa and your gurudeva want you to preach in Western countries. You have such important work to do, and you are so qualified.” We laughed together about this in a friendly way.

Guru Mahārāja and Abhaya Caraṇāravinda Prabhu were bosom friends–they had lived and served together. Both were intellectual giants and very erudite persons from high-class families. So I now encouraged him to accept sannyāsa from our gurudeva and then go to preach in Western countries. Then, when my gurudeva later arrived from Navadvīpa, I told him,

“Abhaya Caraṇāravinda Prabhu is your friend. He can obey you because you are elder.” Gurudeva was a sannyāsī and Prabhu was in gṛhastha-veṣa (the dress of a householder).

Earlier, when I had written to Gurudeva that pūjyapāda Abhaya Caraṇāravinda Prabhu was staying here with us, he told me, “He is my bosom friend. Show him all respect and give him all facilities.” I had known him since 1947, and I realized how highly qualified he was. Pūjyapāda Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja, Śrīla Śrauti Mahārāja, and Guru Mahārāja would always give him great respect, even though he was a householder.

At this time, therefore, I requested my gurudeva to apply some pressure so that he would take sannyāsa. Gurudeva then called him and said, “Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja and all the other boys are encouraging that you take sannyāsa. I also support this idea. Do not hesitate to take the renounced order. You are so qualified.

Please take sannyāsa now. It will be very beneficial.”

Abhaya Caraṇāravinda Prabhu thus agreed to accept sannyāsa, and the ceremony was held the very next day. That day was the auspicious Viśva rūpa-mahotsava. Prabhu asked me, “How should I prepare?” I told him, “Don’t worry, I will arrange everything.” I prepared bāhira-veṣa (sannyāsa dhotī), uttarīya (sannyāsa upper cloth) and a dāṇḍa with my own hands. I taught him how to wear these, and then I performed the fire yajña. Akiñcanā Kṛṣṇadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja came, and Śeṣaśāyī Brahmacārī, Kuñja-vihārī Brahmacārī, Parijataka Mahārāja and many other persons were also present. Now, most of these devotees have departed.

Sanātana Prabhu took sannyāsa with him, after which he became Bhaktivedānta Muni Mahārāja. He was ninety years old and had said to him, “If you agree to take sannyāsa, then so shall I.” He is also no longer here, having joined the eternal service of Kṛṣṇa.

I recited the yajña-mantras and performed the ceremony. Akiñcanā Kṛṣṇadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, Prabhu’s intimate godbrother and friend, chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa continuously, from 8:00 A.M. until 3:00 P.M., in a most sweet and deep manner.

My gurudeva then gave Prabhu the sannyāsa-mantra. The sannyāsa name which he gave him is “Swāmī.” This is one of the bona fide sannyāsa names; it means “controller” and “master.”

The title “Bhaktivedānta” had already been awarded in Calcutta by some of his godbrothers, and “Mahārāja” is a formal ending for those in the renounced order.

This name “Swāmī” was just fitting because Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Mahārāja became the controller of many, many jīvas’ hearts, due to his being strong and faithful to his gurudeva. This is why we affectionately call him “Swāmīji,” not in any common way but showing the greatest respect.

After the ceremony, Gurudeva requested Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Mahārāja to speak. He spoke in English, although almost everyone present could not understand that language. He explained that just at this time he remembered his gurudeva’s specific orders to preach in the English language. He said, “I feel fortunate to accept sannyāsa from my godbrother, Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja. I have known him for a long time and he is my close friend. He is a very bona fide disciple of our jagad-guru Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda. He has kindly given me this sannyāsa order, and Śrīla Nārāyaṇa

Mahārāja and Śrīla Muni Mahārāja have also given me inspiration to do this. The order of sannyāsa means to preach the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the mission of the guru everywhere. My gurudeva instructed me to preach in English, in Western countries, and that is why I am writing English articles and books. I am praying to Kṛṣṇa, Gurudeva and all the Vaiṣṇavas that they give me the power to preach this mission all over the world.”

Excerpts from his speech and a description of the ceremony were printed in a news article in our Bhāgavata Patrikā. The well-known photograph of our gurudeva sitting between Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Mahārāja and Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Muni Mahārāja was taken on that day. Kuñja-bihārī Brahmacārī was formerly a wealthy devotee and had previously helped build our māṭha financially; so now he gladly donated the five paisā he had saved for a photographer’s snapshot. Thus, today, we can all honor this sannyāsa portrait.

It was a special privilege for us to participate in assisting Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Mahārāja in accepting sannyāsa. For the next three days after the ceremony, Kṛṣṇadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja stayed together with him in his room. They were especially close and confidential with each other. After this, Śrīla Swāmī Mahārāja went to Āgrā to preach at a program he had arranged. He was always coming and going, engaged in guru-sevā. We kept his room open for him for so many years, and during that time he wrote some of his books, like Easy Journey to Other Planets, here. His three volumes of ŚrīmadBhāgavatam were not printed yet, so he continued writing and editing them here. The manuscripts were then given to the press in Delhi and gradually published. He was also writing Back to Godhead and other publications. He had done some translating before, in Calcutta and Allahābādā, but here he was easily able to concentrate and thus he accomplished so much.

Some persons don’t consider the taking of sannyāsa to be very valuable or of much importance, but it is actually so important. I think that if Śrīla Swāmī Mahārāja had not taken sannyāsa, perhaps he would not have done what he did in Western countries. Śrīla Swāmī Mahārāja himself explains in his books that it is favorable to accept the renounced order for preaching. In India, everyone has honor for sannyāsīs. In sannyāsa, one gives up something but gains everything. As explained in ŚrīmadBhāgavatam: mukunda sevana-vrata. A sannyāsī thinks, “I only love Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. I don’t know anything else.”

The sannyāsa-mantra is very helpful in attaining the kṛṣṇaprema which Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and all the other Gosvāmīs have tried to give us, and this is superior to all supermost attainments. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to give this type of kṛṣṇaprema, and therefore the taking of sannyāsa is very important. Don’t think it is a minor point.